I knew I was forgetting at least one reason! Cheers Bandan.

This was especially important in the UK with their brake vans. Since British trains still had chain couplings well into the 1970's it was vital to keep the train in tension as much as possible to prevent slack action from breaking the chains, particularly when going down hills when the cars would want to bunch up. The train guard would have to know the route very well to know when to apply the appropriate amount of handbrake to keep tension when going downhill without adding too much extra drag for the often underpowered goods engines. If you've ever watched Thomas and wondered about the engines getting bumped by the Troublesome Trucks, that's probably because a lot of guards on Sodor weren't very good at their job.

You forget one other purpose some cabooses are used for now a days, some have been converted into RC receiver cars for remote control operations

@@GraveSpartan21 And on high-security trains (military, Department of Energy, etcetera) as well as some maintenance of way trains.

honestly, this feels like the only real reason not to have them, the other reasons make the caboose REDUNDANT but redundancy in itself can be a great safety feature

@livinginthenow I almost typed the same thing you did. lol

I remember a train without a caboose in the 1970’s was an oddity.

I think it was in the 90s that I started noticing the lack of cabooses on trains.

@@seanryan3020 It might have been in the 90's in your area of the country.

@@Lakillika I said that was when I started noticing. It could have actually started long before that.

Ft. Hood?!? I'm so sorry 😢

These were called "guards wagons" in NZ.

The power plant coal train in Bremond tx still has a caboose

Some NS locals still use cabooses. Two locals out of Elkhart regularly have them - and the smoke coming from the stove pipe on a cold day tells all that they aren't welded-shut 'shoving platforms'.

Military specials, especially nuclear fuel cell trains and Schnabels still use cabooses (cabeese :-} ) for security and personnel involved with the load.

I remember seeing them when I was a kid in the 80's too, and the caboose was the one you always wanted to see more than the others. One day we were waiting at the tracks on a train to go by and my dad mentioned they were phasing them out. Sure enough, they became a rare sight and eventually disappeared. I dunno why but to me that kinda ruined my interest in trains, knowing the caboose wouldn't be there at the end.

As a kid, I'd hear the train and wait for it. Seeing the last car nearing, I'd take off like a bat out of hell on my bike, catch it (always a cargo car) and hitch a ride across town. It was a street runner, so I wasn't doing (much) nonsense.

I remember back in the 1980s the Southern Pacific guys enjoyed waving back, those guys loved their jobs.

I love top of the line stuff for yesteryear, especially yesterdecade. Stuff like talking machines and whatnot

It’s always a good reminder that people in the past weren’t stupid, and may have even been smarter than we are now! We only think we’re smarter now because we have the benefit of standing upon the shoulders of those who came before us.

"But they're all racist and transphobic." - Average mainstream Democrat

@@lowestcommonDenomanator Past weren’t stupid? Oh boy I can see you didn’t work out there….

@@mshum538 People in the past weren't stupid. They built the civilization that we enjoy today.

Yeh cut back on extra crew no coboose and ahost of additional crew

Good way to describe it!

YES INDEED, YES INDEED!

This is the most refreshing comment I've ever read, thank you!!!

In my youth ( I'm 74) I used to do that too. I couldn't wait to see the caboose!! I'd wave and they'd wave back! It was so awesome to me, a kid, that I was giddy! I don't know why, cuz I am female, but it sure made my day!!

That’s what I remember too Earl. I was a kid in the early 1970s and remember just what you said. I remember counting the cars on a train as it passed by. It’s sort of sad that kids don’t see that anymore today.

​@BEDTIME BIBLE CHAT I don't see what your gender should have to do with it. Trains are cool, and girls should be allowed to think so! I'm glad you had the opportunity to form such a fun memory.

@@astro6009 Many people my age ( very old ) used to think it wasn't like a girl to like trains. It wasn't just the trains for me, it was just that caboose!! I don't know why I loved it but I did.

@@bedtimebiblechat7152 And I just think that enthusiasm is great, and I'm glad you got to enjoy that. I loved cabeese(?) as a kid as well. There's just something so charming and special about that little red cabin on wheels.

Cabeese sent me. I love it.

You're forgetting the 5 unshowered men who are also in there with you 😂

@@gogofuntime_yt I mean at least you have hot water if it’s that bad 🤣

@@gogofuntime_yt I've done that military life, that stuff doesn't bother me much.

I'd love to buy one and install it on my forever property as a railroad man cave or a place for the young kids in the family to play. Where can someone buy a caboose?

Can you tell me what presidential administration was in office at the time?

@@mshum538 Clinton

@@lonnywilcox445 no, not at all, carton signed the staggers act ( deregulated the railroads ) and reagan was in office when cabooseless operations commenced in 1985-86-87…..good day…40 years as a Locomotive Engineer ~retired …

Carter~~~

@@mshum538 thats about when they stopped using them on the chessie but I would say no more then 85, and I remember my mom would say wonder if it will have a caboose on the end to play a game with me while we waited for a train downtown, which was frequent and was not till the late 1990's that we got an underpass after many long years of the trains tieing up traffic, now they run them soo long it can go just outside the yard all the way to the next city over 3 miles away if you catch it just right and its an added 5 minutes to go all the way back and though town when you are running late for work and the train is not a hot shot or express, like auto rack or intermodal, and they decide they are just going to stop and block two miles of track or just shy of clearing the switch at the junction on the back road or you get two or three trains running the same time rarely on the tripple tracked main, but I loved the cabooses, they are still used for maintannace of way, tool storage, and for shoving platforms even around here though but are rare to see aside the maintnance of way or the rail grinder or inspection trains. but it was a good video and explanitive without getting to technical or dumbed down about the reasons for the caboose. there also used to be more people in the crew sometimes up to 5 or more when you had flagmen on trains for crossings or other special situations, but cabooses did not have all the telemetry that modern computers do with a fred or flashing rear of train device, and tracking speed, but cabooses gave more room for deadheading and storage for stuff to bring back from where you are deadheading to back home or storing stuff or magazines for down time both dirty and some that were news or trade related. and it was not on all trains back then but many of them and then one day they just stopped.

Why were we so excited as kids about cabooses? I dunno. Back then, I said the caboose was my favorite part of the train. Maybe it had something to do with Petticoat Junction girls?

the dog was cuter @@SpaceCadet4Jesus

@@tommurphy4307 okay...I see where you're going. I'm calling the cops.

It was great when you waited all that time to get a waive from the conductor!

Well that's a neat tidbit I wasn't aware of! Thank you for sharing Andrew. Makes sense.

Train Crews on the Pennsy Min Line used to be able to see a burnt Bearing on a piece of equipment, before they melted completely away. HazMat loads might deserve a Caboose. What costs more, when wrecks start to affect Insurance rates? Clean up Crews are not Cheap..... Hazmat Crews seem to cost more than a couple of Caboose crews.....

Keep it Bit Simple No Need to Write 52 pages Letter , No one Have patience to Read, I Dont Understand Why people write 100 page Book in Comments

@@S500- that was one of my brief comments. I enjoy communication. You seem to be interested in instant Gratification. What a shame?

@@danielhutchinson6604 I think they were commenting on my original long comment, Daniel. 🙂 I don't understand why they would respond in that way. If you don't like long comments, just skip them and move on, eh?

My grandfather also died from the Spanish flu, but it was in 1918. My dad was a carpenter on a B&B crew for the Norther Pacific Railway and the Burlington Northern until he retired in the mid 70s. I worked at a lumber mill in the 1970s and used to mark some of the cars we loaded with a date. They lumber would go all over the US shipped on Nother Pacific, Great Northern and Milwaukee Road lines. Often the cars would be back in our yard for a load in two or three months.

You must have a really good memory or I didn’t pay attention. I grew up in Chicago since 89. (Born in 83) but I don’t recall seeing “cabooses”. I missed out.

I live in Bowie Texas close to the tracks. I will start looking and see if any of the trains have a caboose.

When I was in grade one I rushed to the window to watch the train go by complete with caboose. I only got a chance to do it once.

Unfitted freight with the guard van was rather inefficient, air braking was the way forward

They were called that in New Zealand as well, and they didn't have the cupola bit.

I've heard the replacement of the Guards Van called a BOG. A Battery Operated Guard.

we have song here is the US but it can also be heard in Australia I love to share it everywhere! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ZtCekrph3OC5e40.html

In the US they were called hacks

And people!

@@theamazinghippopotomonstro9942 "People" are very inefficient, but trains are the most efficient way of moving cargo, especially over land. Nothing against truckers, but trains don't have the drag of rubber tires or nearly as much wind resistance per shipping container. They can move heavy loads over long distances with very little little energy compared to being on trucks. 2 to 4 trucks work the energy can pull 200 of those 53' shipping containers instead of one per truck. Anyway people are important too though when it comes to operating those trains, just not so much when it comes to moving people. Everyone is going somewhere different, and it doesn't make sense to use an entire train to move a few people. In the case of big cities for example it does over short distances like New York for example, but that's why they already have a subway system. Beats sitting in the parking lot traffic. In all honesty I'd just get a moped and something heavy duty to lock it up with. Thank you for the feedback though, I do greatly appreciate it.❤️❤️

@@kentworch Trains are excellent to move people between cities that are too close to fly and too far to drive. Europe and Asia have a robust, fast passenger rail network and it works. You take an intercity train to go from city to city and then a metro to move around within that city

@@theamazinghippopotomonstro9942 That makes sense especially for heavily traveled routes, but not so much for moving across the country here in the USA. The ones we have go mostly unused and it doesn't make much sense for an entire train to go across the country for only 6 to 8 passengers. That's what is actually going on though, and it's honestly kinda sad to see. Like I said, more people need to use them. Trains are still excellent for transporting freight though, and in all honesty, I think we need to use railroads more and use the trucks for local distribution rather than moving our freight across the country by truck. Trains are much more efficient when it comes to long haul transit. One train can easily carry the cargo of 200 semi-trucks while only using the energy of 2-4 of those trucks. As far as people go, it's great in those high traffic areas, but wasteful if there aren't enough passengers.

For moving freight ; the rail trains are highly efficient. On YT it talks about trains. 500MPG No passenger car can do that. Commercial trucks get maybe 15MPG pulling 1 50 foot reefer(refrigerated) -trailer whereas a train can pull 200 reefers across country. It basically has to be then taken by truck where ever the train stops at the railway hubs.(as they do to this day)and hauled to the town or store that is not beside the rail line. No need for long distance hauling. . Since the 10day debacle with the container ship (the EVERGREEN) IN THE Suez canal, THAT ISSUE has now been addressed with them digging a second canal (pairing it) so it cannot happen again. That shows how "thread like" fragile the demand/supply chain really is. Containers have been piling up at loading docks, stacked atop of each other BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH certified truck drivers available to haul the containers away. The docks figure it will take 6 MONTHS before things will be back to NORMAL. Many train tracks have been ripped out (stuff they could use right now) and dock workers have agreed to a new contract that they run 24/7/365 to clear up the backlog, BUT stores & industry have not agreed to be open 24/7 to receive the goods. They are PRIVATE businesses such as grocery stores, furniture stores, fertilizer plants, construction outlets, which is WHY we suffer shortages and higher prices(aka INFLATION). That includes FUEL from overseas. Nothing the POTUS can do. He cannot magically cannot make Truckers. It is something we have to wait out (unless you want to pay 5X's the cost for the item.) I know, I won't.

That's a fun idea! I'd honestly need to learn and understand those options moreso to really present that but it is a neat topic.

One of the reasons a railroad might still use a caboose is if it's going to back the train over a public highway. The conductor needs to flag the crossing. The platform of the caboose is much safer than hanging off of the side of a random railcar

Not really~~~other then having a platform to stand on and not having to hang on the side of a car they are nothing but a nuisance, ask any yardmaster they could care less about “safety”….

@@mshum538 And how many years were you with the railroad?

@@TheOneTrueDragonKing 40 continuous,👍~~~

Ho or N? CB&Q called them waycars

Lawsuits. Surely you've seen commercials for mesothelioma payments offered? Carrying people in the back left them in a cloud of asbestos every time the brakes were applied. It's a liability and hurts their bottom line.

Same here. In my 50s - I always wondered but never asked. I kind of figured some of it out as a technology advancement reason. I always thought they were interesting. Nowadays... seeing a train go by with FRED is.... disappointing.

Soooo. You didn't have internet until today

Agreed, for sure. 😄

On the really large or heavy loads, they may have crew to ensure the load can safely make it past nearby obstacles. There are KZfaq videos of some examples.

Usually I would trust Hyce, but cabeese sounds funnier so I'll believe you instead.

we love cabeese

Actually, it's caboozen

Like a goosesses or geesesse?

I thought it was like potato patato

Well that's fun!

This is awesome- 😂

Your parents had real jobs, important ones because of the vital importance of the railways and the strong need to get things right. Hand signals and mechanical signals had to be learned hard and well, with zero tolerance for error. You made a mistake, severe damage might be done or lives lost. A lot of pressure to never let concentration lapse. If you made a mistake, you'd be sacked on the spot, perhaps the only breadwinner in the family. Not a lot of social security then. I hope your granddad got compensation for his loss. I loved the life growing up, thru movies, TV, Boys Own adventure books, etc. But with a learning disability, never felt being a signalman was for me... what if I got it wrong? Huge responsibility. When I was still young, lots of older railway workers were missing a leg or two, and more had missing fingers from setting couplings. Back then the railways didn't shunt them off out of sight, paying a pension. They kept them employed, taking tickets mainly, but also station maintenance, running the cloakroom, setting timetables, etc. I was in awe, here was a bloke with both legs missing as well as a few fingers, still proudly working in his spotless railways uniform.

Agreed. Seeing the caboose was magical.

Great suggestion!

@@Hyce777 Thanks for another excellent vid. Would love more on this. I know the rear brakeman was to watch for hotboxes what did they do when he saw something that required a stop? Did they just pull the air, or was it with those lamps? edit -Never mind you answered it! I also feel like given recent events, having a human looking at things might prevent a train from being on fire for miles.

In some areas, there WAS a brake cord though. I have been on a train with them. The cord ran the length of the carriage, and at the end it pulled on a lever which vented the air. The lever was easily visible, so staff could quickly find which car had its valve activated. This was the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Queensland, Australia.

@@briannem.6787 I've seen it as well in the US.

@@briannem.6787 I recall one instance where a passenger, probably a drunk, pulled the emergency cord & wore flat spots on all of the wheels on the passenger train.

Not true. I was a 90s kid and we knew what a caboose was because they’re in all the train sets, yet very confused about not seeing them IRL.

@@ferretyluv What did I say above that was not true?

@@67L48 That kids don’t know what a caboose is.

@@ferretyluv Where did I ever say that kids don't know what a caboose is?

@@67L48 “My kids don’t know what a caboose is.”

Blinking light actually had a name which was FRED, short for Flashing Rear End Device. For the jobs it cost, those workers replaced flashing with fu***ng.

Absolutely! One of my earliest memories was of the train headed from Minturn to Leadville (Colorado)... we lived in Vail. My father would drive me and my brothers to the first curve up Battle Mountain Pass, just past Tigawon. We would wave at the caboose as it passed... always received a wave back. That was nearly 60 years ago... time flies by for sure.

Totally agree. Can't figure out why.

Lucky

It also made it easier to cut a trainman position after 1985.

Railroad unions fought having airbrakes on boxcars too. The unions have opposed every technological improvement.

​@@Oldman808sadly unions can often destroy what they claim to protect , ironically they weren't particularly supportive of the much safer janney coupler whilst railway companies weren't keen as the unit's were expensive yet once introduced they had no regrets, - human nature isn't always that logical 😉 Yet i do support the principle of unions to protect workers rights

@@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044 Yes, believe it or not, I too recognize the value of the unions.

Yet with the recent incident in East Palestine, the amount of money the insurance company is going to HAVE TO PAY OUT, maybe a caboose is not such a bad idea as trains get longer. Or an upgrade to the ENTIRE RAIL SYSTEM (as most of it was laid in the 1800 or earlier) or dynamite brakes installed when there is a break in the air lines(as proposed by Obama) Right now the RR company is going to be sued to the Ying Yang.

We already have ways to monitor the rear. No need to stick someone back there to risk injury

Canadian '80s kid here, I remember waiting to see if a long freight train had one was a few minutes of entertainment for a wee kid :)

@@devilsoffspring5519 I'm also Canadian, but a bit older than you. I recall the last days of steam. I recall seeing the steam engines when we lived in Unionville, Ontario, then a small farming community north of Toronto. When we moved to Oakville, near a Ford plant west of Toronto, I don't recall seeing them, just diesels. This was roughly the time Canadian railroads retired steam in favour of diesel.

that was my first thought haha "I'm sure i recognise that interior from somewhere"

Yes! Thank you…. Was thinking “Where have I seen this before?” Deja vu

Lmao, I haven't gotten to that EP of the pod yet but it sounds great

​@@Hyce777 Lac Megantic is a great episode

Yes, and bogie boards...oh, wait. :-)

I seem to recall the packing was cotton waste.

Look at all the cartoons & movies we grew up with. Very rarely shown without one. In fact, some of the action or exposition usually came from the caboose. They're part of our history.

A train wasn't complete without a caboose. ❤

Passenger trains didn't. However, in the remote areas of Northern Ontario (and probably elsewhere) there were mixed trains, with freight cars, a passenger/baggage car and a caboose.

I need to learn more about it and then we can talk about that :)

I know here in britain there was a lamp/disc headcode system that lasted for quite a while...